Sparring Partners
by Alex Foster
Summary: Missing scene from Season Eight Issue Twelve. Buffy walks a late night patrol and finds Satsu. Batsu and Femslash warning.


Title: Sparring Partners

Author: Alex Foster

Feedback: I love hearing what people think. Drop me a line or leave a review.

Category: Romance

Setting: Just prior to Buffy Season Eight Issue #12

Rating: R

Summary: Missing scene from Season Eight Issue Twelve. Buffy walks a late night patrol and finds Satsu. Batsu and Femslash warning.

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by Mutant Enemy, Dark Horse, and Joss Whedon. No money is being made and no infringement is intended.

Author's Notes: There are many great things about the season eight comic, but the Buffy/Satsu pairing is quickly becoming a favorite of mine. This story is my small contribution to that hopefully growing fandom. Thanks for reading.

* * *

_Sleeping alone, except under doctor's orders, does much harm. Children will tell you how lonely it is sleeping alone. If possible, you should always sleep with someone you love. You both recharge your mutual batteries free of charge._

Marlene Dietrich

_It is with our passions as it is with fire and water, they are good servants, but bad masters._

Aesop

* * *

It was at night when she realized just how far from home she was now.

Walking the halls of the castle when most of its residents were asleep gave Buffy particular insight. Just a handful of years ago cooking burgers and trying to make ends meet while taking care of Dawn felt like the most overwhelming thing in the world. Now she found herself in a completely different country heading a global army.

Ambling down the darkened corridors, Buffy listened as the ever-present wind howled outside. Even in the inner most halls, she could always hear the wind. Cool dampness seemed to exist everywhere, too. All the improvements and add-ons she and Xander had done to the centuries old castle and somehow they had overlooked central heating.

In the beginning it hadn't felt this way, she remembered. Then it had been a whirlwind of activity with squads to setup, money to procure, equipment to stock, and girls to train. There were always more girls looking for training. She hadn't the time to even _be_ alone back then. Feeling lonely for a change never even entered her mind.

She was settling in. As strange as her life of jetting around the world as head of this new army was now, Buffy was getting used to it. And that meant the familiar loneliness had found her.

Too much alone time was bad for slayers. She'd heard that somewhere before. If she spent too much time living in her head a slayer disconnected from the world around her. At the time the warning had applied to Faith. When Giles started teaching the girls about the chain linking them all, he repeated that warning. Don't become detached.

Don't become lonely.

Buffy stopped her walk at a window and peered out at the night. Reflected in the glass was herself in shadow.

Xander had tried to encourage her to party with the girls the other night, but even when she was with them, teaching them, it was the same. In the eyes of the slayer army, Buffy Summers stood in a class separate from everyone else. It was inevitable, they knew. It started before Sunnydale went boom. That was the reason Andrew and Giles setup the decoys. All the girls were slayers now, all chosen, but Buffy was still the figurehead.

Just as well, she knew. Thousands more would be dead below ground if the words Buffy Summers were not now a warcry.

A not so small part of her wished that she would run into Xander tonight during her walk. She teased him with the title of watcher, but he was one of the few available to talk to. He had the best insight into how she felt. She spent too much time alone. Perhaps this feeling of disconnection came with the leadership package. Those were his words. Odd decapitation dreams not withstanding, Buffy appreciated someone noticing that.

She knew, though, that Xander was not out and about the castle tonight. It was late and he had his own concerns right now. Things were going well, albeit incredibly slowly, with Renee. He just might even ask her out one of these days.

Buffy continued on through the castle. It was dark with only the dim moonlight peeking through the windows to illuminate the halls. The lights in most of the dormitories and private rooms were turned off and their owners asleep. Every so often, Buffy would hear soft whispering and the occasional giggle from inside. Mostly newbies trading gossip, she knew. Some, however, were the sighs and moans of slayers enjoying more than gossip.

They should have expected that, really. The girls went out, hunted and killed as slayers, and then returned home to a male population of one. Well, two when Andrew was on the grounds but she doubted even the sexual hunger in a slayer brought on by a good kill could sail that boat. Bully to them if it worked, she thought.

Buffy passed antique artwork on the walls and freestanding suits of armor left behind by the castle's former inhabitants. Everything here felt…old. Europe was just too stuffy and archaic for her tastes. No wonder Giles loved the place so much.

Giles…Buffy did not want to dwell on her former watcher. Or Faith for that matter. And the two of them were just a little too buddy for her tastes now.

Rounding a corner, Buffy came to the training room. Surprised to find the lights on, she walked to the door. Last time she strolled her late night rounds she found Xander locked in heated combat with the dummy bag.

Pushing the door open a crack and peering inside, Buffy saw Satsu alone in the room. The young slayer sparred between two punching bags she'd drawn up to the rafters. They swung wildly about as she spun and danced in pantomime combat.

Buffy watched as Satsu pivoted sharply on one bare foot and caught one of the bags with a quick chop of the hand as it swung back to her. She jumped out of the way of the second bag and leaned back into a short kick.

Although a well trained and an efficient slayer, Satsu failed to hear the door open and in the field such inattention could cost lives. Buffy slipped into the room and moved along the wall, never taking her gaze from the other slayer.

Satsu moved in long fluid motions, ducking the pendulum like bags and lashing out in quick precise punches. Like Buffy she was clad in soft bedclothes that flowed easily around her as she moved. Sweat matted her pinned back hair.

Silently, Buffy pulled a reed practice sword free of the weapon wall and started forward. Satsu dropped down into a roundabout kick that would have taken the legs out from under an opponent. She planted a foot firmly and completed the spin by lifting herself into a standing position. She turned just in time to see Buffy arrive behind her.

Buffy lashed out and backhanded her across the face. The blow didn't have anywhere near full slayer strength behind it, but still knocked Satsu back several paces. She lost the rhythm of the swinging bags and crossed into the path of one.

The wind left Satsu's lungs with an audible heave and she went to the soft mat floor of the training room. Buffy charged forward, wood sword raised.

Reacting with speed, Satsu rolled toward the attack. She came up, caught Buffy's arm, and shifted her center of gravity just enough to send Buffy flying. The sword went left and Buffy went right. She landed and immediately jumped to her feet.

Satsu remained in a low crouch, one hand raised, with her gaze never moving from Buffy. Excitement danced in her eyes.

The two slayers held their positions for a long moment, each waiting for the other to push the attack, and then both slowly smiled. "I did not hear the door, ma'am."

Buffy walked to her and offered a hand. "You will next time."

Satsu accepted the hand and came to her feet. "Thank you, ma'am. If you'd like the training room for a while, I could—"

Buffy waved the rest of that sentence off. "No, I was just out patrolling and noticed the lights on."

"Patrolling, ma'am?"

"You can let the formality go, Satsu. It is way too late in the evening for that." Buffy retrieved the wood sword and replaced it on the rack. "I guess I'm still in the habit of patrolling when I can't sleep."

"Dreams, ma'm—er—Buffy?" Satsu's skin lost some color and she glanced at Buffy as though expecting a reprimand.

"Yeah, that and other things." Buffy didn't pay attention to the look and steadied one of the bags.

"Is there anything I can do?"

Buffy smiled. "Thank you, but I'm…being me."

"Is that…is that because of what we talked about before Twilight attacked us?"

"Yeah, wait—what?—no." She shook her head. "No, not what you think. I just feel…restless."

"Oh." Satsu watched as Buffy idly played with the knots holding the bag to the rafters. "Then it is about what you and Mister Harris talked about?"

"How did you know about that?" Buffy asked.

"Mister Harris told Renee you were feeling disconnected from the rest of the army," Satsu explained. "She told Rowena who told Leah who then told me. Word gets around."

"Wow. Five hundred little Dawns."

Satsu shrugged. "Not much else to talk about around here but gossip." A blush colored her skin. "And you are an interesting subject."

"Have to say, not as interesting _being_ the gossip as hearing the gossip."

Satsu didn't seem to know what to say and shuffled from one foot to the other. "Um, I think I'll turn in and let you get back to your walk. I was just trying to work up a sweat before bed. Goodnight, ma'am."

"Wait," Buffy quickly said, surprising herself. "You don't have to go. I mean, I could help you spar for a little while if you'd like."

Satsu's face lit with enthusiasm. "Really?"

Buffy nodded. "One rule though. If you want a good workout before bed, no holding back. Full slayer against slayer. Agreed?"

"Agreed." Satsu spun and kicked the punching bag next to her. It snapped tight on its rope and slammed into Buffy. She went back with the suddenness of it and then Satsu was on her. Fists and kicks came at her with inhuman speed.

The intoxicating rush of combat hit Buffy like a wave and she twisted into Satsu. She blocked a knee with her leg and caught Satsu's arm. The bone in the other woman's small limb felt like a piece of steel. Buffy hit her once, twice, in the face and then half threw her around.

Satsu went down with the blow and rolled on her shoulder, angling again for Buffy. She swept her leg out in a wide kick and this time made contact. The older slayer dropped and felt more than heard Satsu jump at her.

Buffy raised her hands to catch Satsu as she landed on top of her and tried to flip her overend, but Satsu kept most of her weight set low against Buffy as she attempted to pin her down. Satsu raised herself and pressed Buffy's wrists to the mat with one hand and brought down an imaginary stake with her other.

"Dust," she said, smiling down at her leader.

"Good," Buffy said, only slightly winded. "Too bad the rest of the team isn't here to see."

"I'm actually glad they're not." Satsu's eyes went wide as she realized the huskiness in her tone.

Still on the floor, Buffy was suddenly very much aware of the position she was in. Satsu shifted her hips slightly against Buffy's, moving to let the other up, but a small whimper that Buffy couldn't hold in stopped her. Shocked, the Asian slayer froze and stared down at her.

Now it was Buffy's turn to blush. "Sorry, I've been, ah—"

Satsu kissed her. Stopped in mid-conversation, her eyes still open, Buffy didn't fully register what was happening. And then the feel of another mouth against hers, the weight pressing her down, and the folded laundry scent of Satsu mixed with fresh sweat reached her and she was kissing back.

Satsu's lips were different from past kisses. Softer and rounder. For a moment Buffy blanked back over ten years and wasn't sure what to do. Fortunately Satsu seemed eager to take control of the kiss and Buffy happily let her.

With one last brush of her tongue over Buffy's teeth, Satsu pulled back slightly. A long moment passed and neither moved. "Was I out of line?"

A voice in Buffy's head wanted her to say yes. For many reasons she should not be underneath one of her slayers. They should go to separate corners and chalk any fun touching up to wrestling moves. Instead, the loneliness and emptiness she'd felt for the past year just wanted someone—anyone—to fill it up.

"No, you weren't."

She kissed her again and this time Buffy responded. Satsu's hands were small and hot as they tangled themselves in Buffy's hair, gently tilting her head back and deepening the kiss. Another moan escaped Buffy's throat. It had been so long that the smallest intimate touch was almost enough.

Satsu rocked against her and Buffy instinctively opened her legs. Her body responded on its own even as she wondered exactly where to put her hands and what to do.

"I don't, um, I've never with another—"

Satsu nodded. "Then just let me…Okay?"

"Okay."

The slayer moved to Buffy's neck, nipping lightly along the two old scars on the artery. Her hands began traveling Buffy's body; one slipping underneath her tanktop and the other moving slowly downward. Buffy whimpered as a fingertip ghosted over a nipple. She gripped the floor mat with enough force to rip the soft rubber. Need began to tighten like a knot in her chest.

Satsu toyed with waistband of Buffy's pants, running her fingers along the seam and tickling the soft skin underneath. She pulled back slightly, again shifted her weight, and licked her lips. In one swift, practiced motion her hand slipped down and Buffy gasped at the suddenness of the contact.

Buffy arched her back and hungrily pressed her hips into Satsu's. The knot grew tighter as Satsu's thumb drew a small circle around her clit. Her fingers moved with an irregular rhythm and sound began to fade into the pounding of Buffy's own pulse.

A voice called out and she was only dimly aware it was hers. The orgasm came in three sharp waves that let her forget the loneliness, the pain, the responsibilities. As the aftershocks faded, Buffy found herself half on the training mat and half on the hard floor. Her clothes twisted tellingly around her frame. And Satsu was there beside her. Buffy lay back and caught her breath, listening as her rapid heartbeat slowed.

Buffy glanced at the training room door. She hadn't closed it properly and even at this late hour anyone could have walked in. She looked back to Satsu. "We shouldn't be here."

"Oh. I could—"

"My room," Buffy quickly supplied. "Now."

Satsu eagerly agreed and together they started for the door. At least in her room they could continue undisturbed and no one would ever find out.

**End**


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